logo
Flooding victims forced out of homes return after eight months

Flooding victims forced out of homes return after eight months

BBC News01-06-2025
People who had to move out of their homes and into temporary accommodation due to flooding have been allowed to return home after eight months.Emergency services were called to Bulwer Street in Bootle, Merseyside, on 30 September after water started gushing into people's homes, with many requiring rescue boats to get out safely.It was the second major flooding incident reported on the road in the last 14 years and left dozens of residents effectively homeless as their living spaces became submerged.Some of the residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they were glad to be home but worried about the prospect of this happening again in future.
"It has happened before, so we kind of knew what to expect, but still, it is a huge shock to have to leave your house when all the sewage water is coming in," said Linda Crilly."Now that more and more people are back home there is a sense of relief but it's tempered with a bit of caution."She said the response had been "a lot better this time, in the sense that we've had people with contact numbers and names that we can get in touch with if there's been any problems".
Sarah, 34, who lives with her 13-year-old daughter Izzy and her guide dog Ronnie, said: "We were living in a hotel for several weeks before we actually got a temporary home, and that was stressful enough, because we were moving from hotel to hotel," she said. She said they were "so happy to be back home but when it rains it does make you worry".Residents held a celebration event on Friday where they presented a representative of the company tasked with the clean-up operation with gifts to thank her for her support.Sarah said Paula Prescott from the Forshaw Group "has been amazing and done so much including giving me a hug", adding that "we'd be lost without her".
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The trend for ridiculous baby names is eroding our sense of national identity
The trend for ridiculous baby names is eroding our sense of national identity

Telegraph

time7 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

The trend for ridiculous baby names is eroding our sense of national identity

Whenever a friend is expecting a baby I say: 'Great tidings, it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl, you can call them Rowan.' Some chance. My name was thought outré in 1968, but now the quest for individual expression via baby moniker is an extreme sport, on a par with the Cresta Run. This week's tidings that Muhammad heads the list of UK baby boys' names for the second year running doesn't only reveal a profound shift in demographics, it shows how the practice of handing down saints' names amongst white Britons born into some form of Anglican heritage has practically evaporated. I was at primary school with a bunch of Davids, Mathews and Stephens, but now such lads would be called Noah and Oliver (the next two most popular boys' names in the country) or, judging from my sons' classmates: Fergus, Otis, Ethan and Max. Meanwhile Olivia, Amelia and Lily head the girls' names table, which belies the fact countless parents strive for studied originality. In so doing, they've become remarkably like lemmings leaping off a cliff while yelling 'I'm so unique'.

Tina O'Brien is 'getting serious' with new boyfriend Adam Fadlé nine months after split from husband of seven years Adam Crofts
Tina O'Brien is 'getting serious' with new boyfriend Adam Fadlé nine months after split from husband of seven years Adam Crofts

Daily Mail​

time35 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Tina O'Brien is 'getting serious' with new boyfriend Adam Fadlé nine months after split from husband of seven years Adam Crofts

Tina O'Brien is reportedly getting 'serious' with new boyfriend Adam Fadle - nine months after split from husband Adam Crofts. The Corrie star, 41, and the interior design mogul, 38, attended Jack P. Shepherd's star-studded wedding on Saturday (July 26) as they made their first public appearance together. And after being spotted packing on the PDA after the event, sources now claim things are moving quickly between the pair - and marriage might not be far off the table, according to OK! A guest at the wedding told the publication : 'There was no mistaking they were an item on the day.' They added: 'Tina dotes on him - she loves that he's very calm and is a real gentleman, in every way. 'She's head over heels. This is no flash in the pan relationship, they're getting serious.' DailyMail has contacted Tina's representative for comment. It comes after Tina looked happier than ever as she passionately kissed Adam while departing Jack's wedding in the early hours on Sunday. The pair looked more loved-up than ever as they packed on the PDA as they exited the wedding reception. The couple reportedly met through friends in their home town of Cheshire this summer and have been on a string of dates. Tina looked sensational as she went braless under a pretty blue and white backless floral dress which boated a daring plunging neckline. She elevated her frame in a pair of pink heels and toted her belongings in a white handbag while Adam donned a smart navy suit with a white shirt. The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other as they kissed while waiting for their taxi to head back to their Manchester hotel. Adam - who bears a striking resemblance to her ex - is the founder of interior design firm Panoramic Properties, which boasts big names including Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo as clients. Tina and Adam were all smiles as they walked holding hands following the night celebrating her co-star Jack and his new wife Hanni Treweek. Earlier in the day, Jack and Hanni tied the knot at Manchester Cathedral, just over one year after he popped the question while on safari in Tanzania, Africa, before having a wedding reception at a nearby hotel. Last month a source told The Sun of Tina's new romance: 'Tina fell out of love with one Adam and then fell in love with another. 'She's been on a few dates with him and they've been very open with their relationship. They were out last week snogging like teenagers and they've been seen walking her dog by locals. 'Tina looked totally mad for Adam and they couldn't keep their hands off each other.' MailOnline contacted Tina's representatives for comment at the time. It was revealed earlier this year that the Corrie star had split from her husband after weeks of speculation. The estranged couple, who share ten-year-old son Beau, are said to be 'on good terms' for the sake of their son but their differing lifestyles reportedly drove them apart. They pair first met in a Manchester coffee shop in 2011 and the couple tied the knot in a surprise NYE ceremony in 2018. The star - who plays Sarah Platt in the ITV show - first sparked split rumours when she shared a photograph of herself at co-star Colson Smith's leaving party in Manchester. Taking to Instagram, Tina cut a glamorous figure in a red mini dress and posed with a bare ring finger on display, just weeks after jetting off on holiday without Crofts. She further fuelled the speculation as she was seen with a notably bare finger while out for a cup of tea in Cheshire. Friends then revealed the split as they said: 'Tina and Adam have ended their relationship and are spending some time apart. 'They moved house at Christmas and have decided to live separately for the time being. The insider told The Sun: 'Adam and Tina lead very different lives - he is really into his fitness, while she really enjoys going out with her mates and having a dance, which just isn't for him. 'It wasn't an issue at first because they were head over heels, but as the kids have started to grow up it's become more noticeable. Adam likes a quiet life and unfortunately that just isn't Tina.'

Nina knew she was different, but girls weren't meant to be autistic
Nina knew she was different, but girls weren't meant to be autistic

Times

timean hour ago

  • Times

Nina knew she was different, but girls weren't meant to be autistic

My first book was a novel about a woman struggling to raise an autistic child. It was called Truestory but it was fictional — or at least the characters, the setting and the plot were made up. But the knowledge behind it, the insights into raising a child who didn't appear to fit into the world and to whom the world was often cruel, were very true. My autistic daughter, Nina, was 15 at the time Truestory was published, and when ​the novel came out she approved of the depiction of autism, remarking: 'It shows the world that we can't turn our weird off.' Now Nina is 30, and thriving, so I decided it was the right time to publish Hold Fast: Motherhood, My Autistic Daughter and Me, the real story of raising an autistic child. As a young child Nina was hard to comfort. She could get distressed for long periods, crying and crying, and, most difficult, she hardly slept. She was frightened of things I couldn't see. She often didn't answer to her name and appeared not to hear me when I tried to reassure her, although doctors confirmed she was not deaf. She was clearly highly intelligent. She loved books, and from 18 months old was writing a rudimentary alphabet. To encourage Nina to fit in socially I tried coaxing, cajoling, persuading, distracting and going with the flow — what other people probably thought of as indulging her. I was constantly problem-solving and developed more diplomatic skills than a top-flight United Nations envoy, but I still had to give up on mother and toddler groups because they were so stressful. I always felt on the outside and left them — usually early — lonelier than ever. Nina and I spent a lot of time alone, and I would push her round the charity shops in her buggy, just the two of us, buying her little toys to play with. One day, I had obviously been in one charity shop too many and she was hungry, so I dashed into a nearby café to give her a snack. She was panicking and furious. An old man at the next table, slumped over his cup of tea and newspaper, announced to the room in general: 'You've done something to that child to make her cry like that.' I said nothing but felt like I had been slapped. When Nina was two and a half, we took her to the hospital to see 'the leading expert on autism in Scotland'. I tried to explain what was going wrong, but he laughed — literally laughed in my face — as he said: 'That child does not have autism.' It was 1997, and autism was still considered a boys' condition. He told me I was giving her the wrong kind of attention, and I left with strict instructions to ignore her if she had a tantrum. A few days later, I was out shopping with Nina in the buggy when she started screaming. I was heavily pregnant with my second daughter, Lara, and I could feel the sweat prickling my back as her screams rose, but I had my instructions: I must ignore this tantrum. A little old lady with a grey anorak, grey shopping bag and grey perm sidled up: 'You're not fit to be a mother leaving a child to cry like that. I'm glad you're not my mother.' Whereupon I burst into tears. Nina's lack of sleep complicated everything. She would lie in the dark with her eyes open, apparently unable to drop off, and still be awake hours later. She was excited about starting school: delighted with the uniform, the plaited hair and the idea of being more grown up. Sadly, the shine soon wore off and she became deeply unhappy. She asked me not to make her go to school, but thinking I was doing the right thing, I insisted. I felt like a monster, and I regret it still. The school referred her for an assessment by psychologists. Once again, I was told she had 'no hardwiring problem' and that the problem was me. This time, rather than giving her the wrong kind of attention, I was accused of giving her too much attention. I was sent on a parenting course and introduced to the cult of star charts and naughty steps — neither of which made a blind bit of difference but just gave me something else to administer. Nina tried to deal with her unhappiness in imaginative ways: casting spells to make people like her, writing to Tony Blair to ask for permission to leave school. • Read more parenting advice, interviews, real-life stories and opinions When she was ten, the school psychologist sent me on yet another parenting course. I was nothing if not a well-qualified mother. This course swore by 'time outs', which was the naughty step in another guise and no more helpful. The course leader told me in no uncertain terms that if I treated my child differently, I would have a different child. More helpfully, my GP referred us to the child and adolescent mental health services, where we saw a real-life, fully trained, NHS medical doctor; a consultant in child and adolescent mental health; someone with an actual medical degree. What a relief. Dr C gave Nina melatonin which allowed her to fall asleep easily for the first time in her life. She also arranged for Nina to get an autism diagnostic observation schedule which confirmed: Nina was autistic. I had suspected this but was still shocked and deeply shaken that the official landscape of our lives had changed in the space of one sentence. I was frightened. What did Nina's future hold? Would she ever find her niche in this world? Ten years of not really understanding her, blaming her for being her, showing frustration with her, being told all our troubles were my fault, feeling like such a failure, and now here was the explanation given in one simple sentence. I researched frenziedly. The more I read, the more obvious Nina's autism became: the hypersensitivity to noise, smell, heat and touch; being able to detect individual odours of pedestrians in the street. Being able to hear fluorescent lights, fans and fridges from the next room, and folding her ears over if a baby was crying nearby. Being able to smell the honey in a flower and the fruit in the wine but hating being at the service station because it reeked of petrol. Being sensitive to zippers and waistbands, hating having her hair brushed and cut, being tapped on the shoulder or other unexpected touches, her discomfort in crowds and playing team sports. I remembered the hyperlexia, the ability to decode letters very early. Her intense interests, 'special interests', in dinosaurs, planets, times tables, Pokémon and so much more; her deep concentration that took her away from this world and into another; her agitation around change and transitions; her difficulty fitting in at school and making friends because other children could sense a difference. The tantrums she had had over the years, which I now understood to be autistic meltdowns — expressions of distress when the world had overwhelmed and overloaded her hypersensitive brain. Looking back, it seemed Nina had been presenting as a classic case of autism for years. How had this diagnosis taken so long? • How to survive the years-long wait for your child's autism diagnosis We had been sent up a blind alley when she was two years old. Then, once up that blind alley, we had ricocheted from psychologist to psychologist for another eight years, psychologists whose sole purpose seemed to be to make me force Nina to conform. In other words, to make me responsible for Nina following society's rules to such a degree that she would fall into line and not cause anybody any inconvenience, at school or anywhere else, and in effect for me to compel her into not being autistic at all. These professionals, it seemed, feared labelling children with a lifelong condition, but didn't seem to mind labelling the parents as failed. However, if a condition is lifelong, surely it is better to understand it as early as possible, to help both the child and their parents. How can autistic people get the support they need if they are not armed with a diagnosis? Somebody once said 'we name in order to see better', and putting a name to Nina's condition certainly made me see her better. A year before her diagnosis, aged nine, Nina wrote her life story, and said: 'I lead a normal life, but I am not normal myself.' • Read more parenting advice, interviews, real-life stories and opinions How lonely that sounds. When I had asked her what she meant, she replied: 'I do not think like other people.' Nina had known better than all of us, all along. I hope Hold Fast encourages understanding of difference. I hope it helps build compassion. I hope it makes people less judgmental about a child's behaviour when it appears that the child is 'not trying hard enough to fit in'. I hope it helps other people realise they are not alone and helps them to hold fast, and to realise that despite today's challenges there are great achievements and happiness to come.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store